The British public don’t trust the legal system and feel frustrated by it, disturbing new research has found.
The numbers speak for themselves. Fewer than one in five people in the UK agree that the justice system is “fair and transparent” and more than half say it is inaccessible. More than two-thirds think wealth is now a more important factor in accessing justice than it used to be (this figure is even higher among legal professionals, 87% of whom agree). On a more positive note, 37% trust professionals working within the legal systems.
The research is revealed in a report published earlier this month by law firm Hodge Jones & Allen, Unjust Kingdom: UK perceptions of the justice and legal system. The report contrasts the findings of a nationwide survey of the general public with additional perceptions gathered from a survey of more than 500 legal professionals, and argues that more needs to be done to restore public trust in the justice system.
Lack of understanding of how the legal system works is a major factor for the poor public image, both surveys found. Some 71% of the public support better education in legal matters, and 69% believe an understanding of the law should be taught in primary and secondary schools. Roughly the same proportion of legal professionals agree with these sentiments. Some 76% of the public believe that simplifying the technical language used by the legal profession would improve access and understanding.
More than half of the public also expressed concern about data protection if the court system were to be digitalised—the government recently announced that it will spend £700m on digitalising the courts.
Patrick Allen, senior partner at Hodge Jones & Allen, said: “These statistics represent a damning indictment of the British justice system.
“If millions of people across the country are intimidated, alienated and confused by the prospect of seeking justice in twenty-first century Britain then we should consider our legal system to have failed in its fundamental duty to provide justice for all.
“The voices of the public and the profession are in unison that cuts to legal aid and the introduction of court fees have only served to exacerbate an already difficult situation. It comes as no surprise that those in the lowest income bracket have the least trust in a system that appears unfair, confusing and inaccessible.
“Fundamentally our legal system exists to protect people across the UK. I implore my peers in the legal sector, the government and the general public to get involved in the debate about how we change and innovate the system to ensure fair and open access to justice for all—regardless of wealth, status or ethnicity.”
.tmb-mov69x69.jpg?sfvrsn=6e6975ed_1)
